Index | Pre-Civil War Reichskommissariat Ukraine | Ukrainian Civil War | Post-Civil War Reichskommissariat Ukraine | Stus' Republic of Ukraine | Dziuba's Republic of Ukraine | Ohloblyn's Republic of Ukraine | Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic | Post-Civil War Ukrainian State | Klyachkivsky's Ukrainian State | Shukhevych's Ukrainian State | Stetsko's Ukrainian State
Unlike his two rivals, Shukhevych does not derive inspiration from Stepan Bandera, but from Yevhen Konovalets, the OUN's first Vozhd. Thinking about how Konovalets would act, Shukhevych is certain that his reign will restore Ukraine's glory for eternity. But Shukhecych doesn't rule alone; he has recruited two of closest allies to form a powerful triumvirate and replace the deceased Klyachkivsky and Stetsko. First is Vasyl Kuk, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief and a veteran general. Next is Yosyp Pozychanyuk, Head of the Political Department and one of the most radical reformists within the UPA. Meanwhile, those who don't follow him will be severely dealt with. The collaborators will be punished for their extended subservience to the Germans, either publicly humiliating them or merely executing their leaders. The surviving Republican and Communist partisans must also be addressed. Despite their long history of conflict, cooperation with them would be necessary to form a coalition powerful enough to resist Germany, when they inevitable return to Ukraine. Thus, Shukhevych can ease the tensions or offer a forceful truce to end the internal fighting, crafting a tenuous end to the conflict, until Germany can no longer pose a threat.
However, the greatest immediate ambition of Shukhevych is the invasion of Galicia. Too long has it been under the control of Poland since the 1920's and Shukhevych decides it's time to reunite with the Ukrainians there. Poland will not take this lying down, so Ukraine arms itself for war. Kuk approves of the plan, but Pozychanyuk does not, warning that conflict with Poland could easily backfire on Ukraine. At this point though, Shukhevych will not have his mind changed. To the surprise of Roman, his son, Yuriy, wants to join the war and make his father proud, an opportunity that may be accepted or denied. When the pieces are finally set, the Galician War begins. Time is limited and Ukraine must take the territory quickly before the UPA suffers too many losses and the populace succumbs to war fatigue. Past three weeks, Shukhevych will lose his patience and realize that the Polish resistance in Galicia is too great for his armies to advance. Therefore, Shukhevych organizes death squads to ethnically cleanse the region, exterminating or deporting them en masse.
If the war is won within three weeks, all of Ukraine celebrates their swift victory and welcomes their soldiers back home. Shukhevych and his cabinet share the jubilation, with only Pozychanyuk conflicted that Galicia could've been gained peacefully, but the Vozhd pays no heed to this, knowing that he stands vindicated and victorious. However, the attitude is more muted if the war is won within three to five weeks and especially so, if it took five to eight weeks. Though Galicia has been won, nobody can really celebrate when they've sustained so many losses and the Polish insurgents are still active in the region, with many losing faith in the Vozhd and his promises. Shukhevych tries to maintain faith in the former situation, but he can't muster any spirit in the latter's gloominess. It's especially awful if he doesn't win the war by eight weeks, where the UPA is forced to retreat and Shukhevych has left them more fractured and vulnerable than ever. On a personal level in the last three scenarios, Shukhevych's family denounces his use of death squads, with a disillusioned Yuriy decrying him as a hypocrite who is no better than the Nazis. In the end, Shukhevych has lost the respect of his family, subordinates, and his country. With Germany looming on the horizon, it's impossible to believe his promises that Ukraine will survive, especially since he's already burned his vow to take Galicia first of all.
This route provides examples of:
- Asshole Victim: The Ukrainian collaborationist leaders can be executed by Shukhevych and almost no one mourns them. If anything, they're eager to witness their public hangings.
- Beneath Notice: A year before Shukhevych's rise to power, a Ukrainian farmer sold two acres of his land to a man with quarter-Polish descent and, now, he wants full restitution of his land on the justification that he is Ukrainian. Shukhevych doesn't care about the situation enough to handle it personally and sends one of his civil servants to do his job. This turns out to be a mistake, as the bureaucrat is a Republican and sides with the Polish man, starting a huge argument that the Vozhd needs to break up.
- Blatant Lies: If the Galician War is won between three to five weeks, the UPA's propaganda will declare it to be a decisive and bloodless victory. However, every citizen knows that this is a lie, seeing how many dead sons they need to bury or mourn. It's enough for many to lose faith in the UPA's rule and Shukhevych's legitimacy.
- Break the Haughty: If the collaborator leaders are sentenced to execution, one observer notices Sushko breathing heavily and barely able to contain his tears, a far cry from his usual strongman personality.
- Brutal Honesty: Roman can deny his son's request to join the invasion of Poland, not wanting him to be killed or lie to his face. This also implies that Roman internally doesn't want him to be in the army at all, even if he grants his wish.
- The Bus Came Back: The girl who was warned to stay away from the UPA is seen again, stealing a forbidden book from the candy-giving UPA soldier.
- Cliffhanger: Conquering Galicia within three to five weeks of the war will put Ukraine in an interesting and open-ended position. While the region is in Ukraine's hands, some Polish soldiers still remain and loosen the UPA's hold over Galicia. A long war lies ahead for Ukraine and everyone regrets not negotiating with Poland first, but Shukhevych can do nothing but affirm his refusal to surrender and promise Galicia's "liberation".
- Developer's Foresight: The attitude of Galicia's invasion will wear the longer the war lasts and it shows in the conquest of Lviv. If the city is conquered before 2 weeks, the Ukrainians will celebrate and the Poles will stand in apprehension, knowing that the occupation is about to turn violent. If the city is conquered past this time period, the invasion is much more graphic, with the Ukrainian army ransacking Polish homes and businesses.
- Didn't See That Coming: Shukhevych's invasion of Poland is based on the German blitzkriegs, which are based on rapid, overwhelming defenses. If the war for Galicia lasts longer than 2 weeks, a Ukrainian commander will be taken aback by how serious the Polish defenses are at repelling the offense, not expecting such heavy resistance.
- Downer Ending:
- If Galicia is not conquered within eight weeks, Shukhevych will have no choice but take a white peace with Poland. In the aftermath, Ukraine's best soldiers are dead, the citizens are staunchly against the idea of another war, the economy is in ruins, and an atmosphere of malaise permeates the nation. A dismayed Pozychanyuk blames Shukhevych for botching their chance and Ukraine's future, a comment that Shukhevych has no response to and a bad omen that the country has nothing to defend themselves with against Germany.
- To a lesser extend, winning the Galician War between 5-8 weeks is a terrible outcome. Sure, the territory is in UPA hands. However, Shukhevych has sacrificed thousands of lives in a slog of a war and practically garnered the world's hatred for the atrocities he sanctioned against the Polish populations. With Ukraine divided and vulnerable to a German invasion, Shukhevych can only pray to God for forgiveness.
- Due to the Dead: After Galicia is conquered within the first three weeks of the invasion, the surviving soldiers return back home to their families and honor their fallen comrades by burying them, praising their sacrifice to the Vozhd.
- Hanging Around: Shukhevych can sentence the collaborationist leaders to death by hanging, with each death garnering the cheers of every onlooker.
- I Need a Freaking Drink: If the Galician invasion fails, a disheveled Kuk takes a drink to cope with the awful situation the UPA now finds itself in.
- Know When to Fold 'Em:
- An underground communist group takes Shukhevych's potential offer to forgive their transgressions and join his united front, having lost most of their public support and seeing no other way to resume their original cause.
- If Shukhevych offers a truce instead of forgiveness, a group of Republican insurgents will agree to cease their hostilities in exchange for walking away scot-free. They know that their dream of a democratic Ukraine is dead and they might as well save themselves while they have the chance.
- Make an Example of Them: Though he wants to form an anti-German front, Shukhevych can't forgive all of the UPA's enemies, lest he look weak, so he needs to select who to execute and make an example for anyone else who might try to oppose him.
- Once Done, Never Forgotten: Shukhevych can give lenient sentences to the Ukrainian collaborationist leaders, but no one is going to forget about their betrayal and the collaborators will forever be ostracized. The only small comfort is that it's a better punishment than what they would've faced from Klyachkivsky.
- Pay Evil unto Evil: Discussed when the Galician War ends between the fifth to eighth weeks, where the atrocities committed against the Polish populations will strike fear in the Ukrainian citizens that they will be subject to the same oppression, if the Poles retaliate.
- Pragmatic Villainy:
- Shukhevych spares and recruits many of the lower-ranked collaborators because he needs to reunify the OUN and bolster their potential manpower against the Germans.
- At Pozychanyuk's insistence, Shukhevych can send an ultimatum to Poland, demanding their handover of Galicia rather than immediately invading them. While it will cost them their early advantage and it's almost certain that the ultimatum is rejected, it may be less bloody and expensive if Poland bends.
- Pyrrhic Victory:
- When the Galician War is won between three to five weeks, the titular region will be in the UPA's control, but it's tenuous at best. Many Polish soldiers remain and intend to hold onto the region as long as possible. Meanwhile, many soldiers were lost in the conflict and faith in Shukhevych's legitimacy has been shattered, leaving Ukraine in an awkward position of having an increasingly unpopular leader who must wage a prolonged war to keep Galicia.
- By the fifth week of the Galician invasion, the operation is considered an empty victory, as so much destruction has been wrought to the region that it's going to cost a lot to recover from. If the war is won between the fifth and eighth week, the feeling of disappointment and emptiness permeates the citizenry, not only for the losses sustained, but also disillusionment at the war crimes the UPA committed. Many fear that the Poles will retaliate against them and some even whisper treasonous talk denouncing the Vozhd's broken promises. Even Shukhevych can't say anything positive about this outcome.
- Rape, Pillage, and Burn:
- The longer the war for Galicia lasts, the more savage the UPA invaders will be, as they destroy everything in their path and decimate whole villages. In one notable instance, a UPA soldier dreamed of visiting a Polish village he saw a child, horrified that it has been burned to a char and realizing how stupid he was to believe his father's promise to visit the place after the invasion. By the fifth week, Galicia will practically become a near-wasteland.
- If Lviv is conquered after two weeks of the invasion, an anti-Polish pogrom will be encouraged by the Ukrainian army, leading to many Polish homes and businesses to be burned. Innocent Poles are dragged out onto the streets and beaten, and everyone else can only pray for an end to the violence.
- Railroading: Shukhevych can offer an ultimatum for Poland to surrender Galicia, but so far, Poland is hardcoded to always reject it, forcing the Vozhd to invade anyways.
- The Scapegoat: Discussed by Shukhevych and Pozychanyuk, where the latter pushes for a a warning statement for the Republicans and Communists to stand down, pointing out that most other situations will reflect badly on the government, even if it wasn't their fault. If they start negotiations immediately, there is a good chance that the talks will fall through and get the regime castigated; if negotiations aren't open at all, any damage done by the remaining partisans will undermine the government's legitimacy.
- Sleep Deprivation: Shukhevych's first action as the new Vozhd is to write an agenda for the UPA's next plan, but sleep deprivation has made him groggy and barely able to read his own writing. His wife, Nataliya, notices and forces him to go to bed.
- Streisand Effect: An in-universe example. The young girl who was warned to stay away from the UPA sees the candy-giving soldier offer treats to anyone who brings him books written by "very bad people", intending to destroy them. However, this just makes the young girl curious about them, knowing that the UPA are inherently dishonest, so she steals one of the books he's collected and reads them herself.
- Uncertain Doom: In the scenario where Lviv is conquered past two weeks of the invasion, a Polish family will try to flee the city and its pogrom, but the father gets taken away by the mob. His fate is not confirmed, but the mob is beating any Pole they can get their hands on and the daughters are horrified by the destruction they see, which doesn't bode well.
- Video Game Cruelty Punishment: In a prolonged Galician War, Roman Shukhevych approves the use of death squads to liquidate the Polish population in the region, either by bullet or deportation. However, this costs Roman his relationship with his son, who is appalled that he could approve of such actions and calls out his hypocrisy in committing the same atrocities as the Nazis he once opposed.
